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10 great documentaries

Are you a fan of documentaries? A while back, I wrote a list of our 10 favorites, but since then we've watched dozens more. So, here are ten more documentaries I'd highly recommend...

* Being Elmo is an award-winning documentary about the puppeteer who created Elmo, many children's first friend.
* Happy explores what actually lifts our spirits; the bracingly honest interviews with people from Tokyo to Denmark to Louisiana offer surprising insights that honestly could change your life.
* Love Etc. follows five couples in New York City: young, old, gay, straight, falling in love, getting married, having babies, breaking up. Heartbreaking and beautiful.
* First Position chronicles five young ballet dancers in an international competition, as well as their wildly different paths to the stage.
* Elvis '56 tells the story of how the naive young singer catapulted to intense world fame in just one year. Endearing and surprisingly poignant. (I just wanted to give him a hug!)
* Bill Cunningham New York profiles the cheerful octogenarian fashion photographer of the New York Times. While biking around NYC on a vintage Schwinn, he changed the way people see fashion.
* Touching the Void recounts the astonishing story of two friends' disastrous attempt to climb a mountain in Peru. A leg is broken, a rope is cut...who will survive?
* Babies was a breath of fresh air when I was (very) pregnant. How reassuring to see four families raising happy children in such remarkably different ways.
* The September Issue reveals how the Vogue editors create the magazine, including fashion shows, photo shoot and lots of passive aggression. A must-watch for fans of The Devil Wears Prada—this is the real deal!
* Born Rich is a documentary about the experience of growing up as a child in one of the world's richest families. Creator Jamie Johnson (an heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune) profiled his own social circle, including Trumps, Vanderbilts and Bloombergs. These twentysomethings seem to have perfect lives, until you spot the cracks.

Have you seen any other good documentaries? What have we missed? I'd love to hear...

P.S. 10 more documentaries.
P.P.S. And apologies for the late post today! A pipe burst in our apartment, so we've been a little out of pocket this week:)

I'd like to put in a vote/suggestion for the documentary The Rape of Europa. It's a fascinating account of the fate of art in Europe during WWII. Just the description of evacuating the Louvre and getting the Winged Victory down the Daru staircase gives me chills—along with lifting back the satin to peek at the Mona Lisa while she was being cared for in hiding in the French countryside.

Being Elmo is definitely very cool, and I'd like to see Happy and First Position. The thing that got me about Bill Cunningham NY was near the end, after he's pretty much nonstop chipper/focused all the way through, when the interviewer asks him about his family and he pauses for several moments. Weighty pause, that.

I just watched I Am last weekend. Super interesting documentary about who we are inately as humans and how we're all tied together as a people, culture, animals, plant life and planet. From the same guy who made Happy. check it out. It will not dissapoint.

Born Into Brothels is at the top of my list. I spent several years living/working in Kolkata, India and i know many of the girls seen in the film. (I worked for a non-profit that worked with women in this particular red light district) Definitely a must see!

I just watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It's a documentary of a sushi-maker and his restaurant in a tiny (and renown) underground location in Japan. It's beautiful, interesting and culturally sensitive, and the quality of the film is amazing. Each piece of fish looks like a jewel! It was a beautiful film, and I loved watching it with my dad, who is a sushi-enthusiast.

I've recently watched and loved "Wasteland" about Brazilian artist Vik Muniz and his project to chronicle the lives of workers at a landfill in Rio de Janiero. Also, "Searching for Sugar Man" was pretty amazing and uplifting.

I actually watched First Position last night, after you informed us about it quite some time ago... and I loved every minute of it.It's not because I had been dancing ballet for 10 years, and after an 8 year break I went back to ballet. I really think that anyone would enjoy it. :DThanks!

Maybe I'm more simple than a spoon (that's a literal translation from Spanish, but you get the meaning, right?) but we hardly watch documentaries. Now I want to see all of these!!!www.theslowpace.wordpress.com

Have you watched Declining by Degrees? It explores the rapid decline of university education in America and the factors that are contributing to this issue. As an educator, I was riveted, but in a sense in affects everybody. What our degrees 'mean' and what they're worth is rapidly evolving as a result of this crisis of education. It's worth a watch, for sure!

I actually met Kevin Clash the week after I watched "Being Elmo." Needless to say I felt like I was a five-year-old Sesame Street fanbaby all over again! (Yes, I had my picture taken with Kevin & Elmo)

I just watched "Make Believe" on Netflix with my boyfriend and we both totally got sucked in! It's about teenage magicians. They're all just so sweetly nerdy and just LOVE magic, it's really cute to watch them practice for the big teen competition in Las Vegas. I loved it!

Hi guys! Does anyone knows about a documentary about the trainning of youg chef in fine dinning kitchens? I read about it and now I don´t remember where :( (sorry for the rusty english, it´s not my birth language)

Another suggestion: "Speak" (I believe it has a limited release but is available on DVD: http://speakthemovie.com/about/). It's a fascinating and inspiring film about mastering and overcoming the fear of public speaking. Check it out.

Hi Jo,I can't wait to watch the September Issue and Babies is on my 100 must-watch (both fiction and non-fiction)

I would definitely recommend you two completely different environments beautifully registered by the same director: Frederik Wiseman.La danse - Le Ballet de l'Opera de Paris and Crazyhorse.

They are both about dance, in the most opposite ways you can think of it. I really like the way he skips a narrator voice and lets the work of the most amazing dancers show - be it in classical/contemporary ballet or in burlesque repertoire.

You have to watch "Please Vote For Me." It is about 3rd grade class elections in China and is wonderful! The kids and parents really get excited about the democratic process and it is great for election season.

This is a weird one, but I Think We're Alone now is completely crazy yet totally riveting. It's about two people who are obsessed with Tiffany (as in the 80s pop singer). I watched that one with my jaw dropped the entire time.

so every time I have time to sit down and watch a movie I can never think of anything to watch. Its like I can't remember a single movie that has ever been made other than "The Lion King" After a dozen times, I'm ready to mix it up. I'm going to keep this list handy, Thank you very much. I'm off to watch the September Issue.

I loved Being Elmo SO MUCH. I wasn't even a huge Elmo fan before it (when it comes to Jim Henson's shows/movies, I've always been more of a Fraggle Rock & Labyrinth kind of girl), but it really made me appreciate Kevin Clash's work and how he really seems to be carrying on with Henson's mission to "leave the world a little better for [his] having been there." :-)

Thanks for this list -- will have to check them out.What about Young At Heart -- the doc about the choir of senior citizens who sing really contemporary music (Radiohead, etc.). I loved it. Also, Spellbound.And, for another weird one that is a guilty pleasure is Decline of Western Civilization Parts I and II -- they follow the LA Punk and Metal scenes respectively and parts of it are like watching a car accident -- jaw dropped, want to look away yet somehow cannot.

You need to watch 'Young @ Heart'! As soon as possible! It will change your life.

Also, God Grew Tired of Us is a great look into what it would be like to go from a refugee camp in Sudan to America and all of the things that are so normal to us, some people have never ever seen (a fridge! a bag of potato chips! tampons!). It's incredible.

And lastly, word wars, about scrabble competitors. I fell in love with those nerdy little guys.

Jesus Camp is a gripping documentary about religion and childhood. Also, the "Seven Up" series is a set of documentaries following working class and upper class children in England over time. You get to see how social class influences life chances in a very real way.

both of which were stunning and inspiring in oh so subtle ways. I wish there were more documentaries out there which focused on the poetics of the environment and the awesomeness of people without having an outrightly obvious agenda.

Here are my top three suggestions: First, I have to second the recommendation of Dear Zachary which had me ugly crying almost the whole way through. It's best to watch that one without knowing too much about it. Another tear-jerker, but so, so good and so moving is We Were There, about the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco. Finally, and less tear-inducing, is Herb and Dorothy, a wonderfully charming documentary about an unexpected couple with one of America's most incredible art collections.

Bill Cunningham New York is up in my top 3 of favorite movies! I think everyone should watch it just to get a glimpse of his spirit and view on life. Plus, New York and fashion vs style as the back drop = perfection.

PS- one I haven't seen mentioned here is Rodney Bingenheimer Mayor Of The Sunset Strip. It's a great documentary similar to Bill Cunningham in that it's about a person with an all consuming passion. The sound track is amazing and there are tons of cameo appearances by everyone from Debbie Harry to David Bowie.

I watched Promises in college. Like a lot of documentaries, it helped me understand more about that part of the world, and how people think. I also watched To Be and To Have. While I watched it I thought it was the most non-action, pointless documentary, but it has stuck with me for a long time. It made me feel thoughtful and peaceful as I watched it.

I KNOW it's a faux pas to post a link to your own blog but I saw a fab doc at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) last month on Tomi Ungerer who was in the 1960's THE best children's book author. He inspired Maurice Sendak to write "Where the Wild Things Are" and convinced Shel Silverstein to write children's books.

I wrote a blog post about it. I see a lot of docs and it was my fave of the festival.

Thank you so so much for another list of you favorite documentaries. I absolutely love watching them (and secretly dream of making one, someday..) and from you last list I picked two to buy for my husband as a gift (Deep Water and Man on Wire). They were such impressive stories. We also saw Being Elmo (because you mentioned it and our toddler girl loves Elmo), which was great too. So thanks again. I will be picking a few from this list I think. Documentaries make great gifts for the holiday season.

PS: you should check out the website of the Dutch documentary festival, IDFA (idfa.nl), where you can watch documentaries online. The festival is in November, so mark your calendar if you're in The Netherlands (Amsterdam) this fall.

I love documentaries! I have a list to watch when my husband is out of town because he gets bored by them. I loved Babies (I saw it twice in the theater), The September Issue, Bill Cunningham, My Kid Could Paint That is an all time favorite and Food Inc. I also really liked Marwencol and Herb & Dorothy

LOVE The September Issue!Fashion wise I love Signe Chanel which is actually a series that was on Sundance and documents the making of a Chanel Haute Couture Collection- watching the seamstresses at work is magical!I will chime in with Valention: The Last Emperor as well.I also second Exit Through The Gift Shop; it was absolutely fascinating. One that hasn't been mentioned that I love is My Kid Could Paint That which is meant to document the path of a 5 year old painting prodigy but instead turns into a question of whether or not the paintings are actually done by her or her father. It's really fascinating.And although the authenticity of this documentary has been questioned- I really loved Catfish.

I love Babies and Being Elmo, made me teary throughout the whole movie. Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a must see. I want to recommend Gary Hustwit's documentary series. They're so beautifully shot. 'Page One', a film about the New York Times newspaper and the teams (and characters) behind it all.'Mr Foster How Much Does your Building Weigh?' is an interview of Norman Foster, a famous British architect, his life, his work, his struggle. I think you'll like it.

Thanks to NetFlix, we've jumped on the documentary bandwagon as well! There are so many favorites I've found there (especially pertaining to the environment / clean eating). I just watched The Business of Being Born and was so impressed by it that I watched it again later that day with my husband. We're not expecting yet, but when I do have babies one day the natural child birth route seems like the right fit for us. A really eye opening film, especially with baby #2 in near plans for your family. And it might spur some interesting thoughts for a Motherhood Monday post.

Definitely going to look into watching The September Issue. I'm also really excited because one that you mentioned a while back, 'Goodbye First Love' is finally available on Nextflix! Live streaming! I know what my plans are for tonight! (:

I never pay much attention to documentaries but your recommended list looks thrilling to me. And also other comments make me really want to watch them now. I think i would start with Love Etc first because the description is really catch to me and because I'm in love now :)Thanks for your recommendation!

High School (1968) - Frederick Wiseman's masterpiece - unfortunately all of his films are very difficult to find on DVD

Burden of Dreams (1982) - Les Blank chronicles the insanity that was the filming of Werner Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo" - also great is Les Blank's "Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe"

Brother's Keeper (1992) - The murder trial of Delbert Ward. He lived with his three elderly brothers in a shack in NY State and was put on trial for killing one of his brothers (they slept in the same bed). Heartbreaking, yet inspiring as the community rallies around this unusual man.

A Touch of Greatness (2005) - Inspirational film about the groundbreaking teaching style of Albert Cullum with original footage of his classroom style from the 60s

i loved your first documentary post and it's come in handy to answer the "what do you want to watch?" question before. i also love the business of being born and art and copy. thanks for some new ideas today.

Jiro dreams of Sushi is AMAZING. It's about a Michelin star sushi chef in Tokyo who is 80 years old. His has been making sushi his entire life and only taken a day off for funerals and national holidays. Anthony Bourdain listed his restaurant in his top 13 places to eat before you die. This film is brilliant.

Have you seen Metal:A headbangers journey? I'm not a fan of metal as a music genre but this doco is a really personal story full of cultural history and insights. Plus you can have a laugh at the outfits worn by hair-metal bands in the 80s. Highly recommended.

If you know anyone on the Autism Spectrum or anyone with a family member on the Spectrum, you must watch Loving Lampposts. A clear, compassionate and real look at kids and adults on the Spectrum (whom you hardly ever see represented in films.) Bonus points that it features my awesome and adorable nephew Sam. Available on iTunes, Netflix, Amazon. More info here:http://www.lovinglamppostsmovie.com/synopsis.html

Such a great list! I also love "Up Syndrome" which follows a young man with down's syndrome and his friend (the filmmaker), throughout the year after high school graduation, with footage of the films they made together as children. Touches on birth, aging, work, and growing up.

I second the reader above's suggestion of the Eames docu. SO great. My boyfriend and I just went to see "searching for sugarman" which is in some theaters here in New York and we were totally totally blown away. "life in a day" is also really amazing. 'el bulli' is amazing! also 'last train home' + 'the sun behind the clouds' + 'up the yangtze' . ah! i could probably go on!

I don't know how you feel about sports, but Hoop Dreams and The Street Stops Here are both amazing basketball documentaries! I have a tradition (with myself! ha!) of Documentary Mondays ... another really cute one is Gotta Dance, about a senior citizens-only hip hop dance team!

I loved, loved Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead and L'Amour Fou. Totally different, but both great. I have seen almost everything on your list, but am definitely going to check out the couple I haven't watched yet! xx

I can't say enough good things about To Be and To Have. It follows a group of students, ages 4 through 11, in a school in rural France. Their teacher, Georges Lopez, is unbelievably dedicated and patient, and his commitment to his students is so touching.

King of Kong follows the two best Donkey Kong players in America. Yes, this documentary focuses on Donkey Kong, a game that has a fraction of the cultural significance it once had in the '80s. But it's so entertaining!

Pressure Cooker is another great documentary about a straight talking culinary arts teacher in working-class Northeast Philadelphia who prepares her students for an annual citywide cooking competition. You'll be on the edge of your seat rooting for her students!

We really liked "Step Into Liquid," about surfing, "Dust to Glory," about the Baja 500 race, and "Long Way 'Round," in which Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman travel across Europe, Asia and North America by motorcycle. "Race to Dakar" featured Boorman in an extreme desert race and was also very good.

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One of the best documentaries I've ever seen is about Robert Macnamara and the Cuban missile crisis, called THE FOG OF WAR.

My husband watched it first and begged me to watch it...totally not my scene so I said no for the longest time, then finally watched. It was absolutely gripping and fascinating. Such a well-made film. Can't praise it enough!!!

One of the best documentaries I've ever seen is about Robert Macnamara and the Cuban missile crisis, called THE FOG OF WAR.

My husband watched it first and begged me to watch it...totally not my scene so I said no for the longest time, then finally watched. It was absolutely gripping and fascinating. Such a well-made film. Can't praise it enough!!!

Another great one is INSIDE JOB about the causes of the worldwide financial crisis. It will have you cursing at your TV screen! And I'M STILL HERE is a sort of faux documentary about Joaquin' Phoenix's 2010 breakdown.

WHEN WE WERE KINGS about the Ali v Foreman fight in 1974. Like Senna, it doesn't matter if you don't like the sport, it's about capturing the mood surrounding the people and events. Contributions from Norman Mailer, Spike Lee etc.

Funny things happened. We went off your list last time to rent some documentaries when my in-laws came. I put on Surfwise. My husband and I just got back from surf trip in Costa Rica, so it seemed perfect.

Let's just say that both my in-laws are conservative Christian ministers and did not appreciate it as much as we did. They were shocked. It was the first time they had met me.

To top everything off, I sleep in the buff with the a/c off. Our place was hot that night and they had asked to turn it on. I woke in the middle of the night freezing and put on a silk, lace, slightly see-through robe. Only to come out of our room to see my father in-law reading the paper and seeing me half naked. I screamed at him, "PERVERT" due to my tiredness.

So yes, Surfwise (I'm Jewish, which I think concerned them even more after the movie) and perverts. My brother in-laws said I am forever their favorite for that story.

Definitely see The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom. A heartbreaking but incredibly touching story of post-tsunami Japan and how the cherry blossom festival gave the people something to be hopeful about. Just incredible. http://thetsunamiandthecherryblossom.com/

New York Doll is excellent. It is about a groundbreaking punk rock band in the late 70's that is not financially sucessful. This causes a downward spiral of one of its members, Arthur Kane. It is his life long dream to play once more with the now defunct band, New York Dolls. There are interesting interviews with Morissey and Patty Smyth and a suprise ending. Definitely not to be missed.

Winged Migration is an excellent film as well. It documents the migration of geese and shows our world from thier perspective.

Le quattro Volte is a charming film of a goat shepard from rural italy. It shows what daily life is like and many of the ancient tradtions that are still being honored in modern italy. Their is not any dialogue in this film, which would normally be torturous for me, but this film was mesmerizing.

I definitely recommend "I Am" -- it will change your perspective and make you want to run out and hug someone! Brave 'new' ideas of how we are all connected and why compassion trumps competition every time.

My favorite documentary of ALL time is: Paris Is Burning!!!! It's about the NYC "drag ball" culture in New York City (Harlem, mostly) in the late 80's. Hilarious, uplifting, sad, beautiful and beyond quotable. I also loved Living Dolls (about a child beauty pageant contestant & her family - this was way before Toddlers & Tiaras!!!) but it is hard to find.

A must-see documentary is "Miss Representation"! It is about how women are portrayed in the media, but even more about how parents need to raise their children to prevent the derogatory connotation of women in media that sometimes you don't even realize is occurring. I know that it was replayed on Oprah.

The September Issue was a fun look I thought into her life beyond The Devil Wears Prada and Elmo was a great documentary. It was warming and uplifting and everything we like to think of when we think of Jim Henson.

Encounters at the End of the World ny Werner Herzog is the most beautiful documentary I've ever seen. Grizzly Man is great, too, but pretty disturbing. I also loved Trouble the Water and Fog of War. Other than those, it seems you've covered about everything! If you're a Dylan fan, I'd recommend No Direction Home.

"First Position" is a great ballet documentary and the best documentary I've watched recently!! If you watch the show "Breaking Pointe" (on hulu) you may recognize one of the girls!! Of course, "Babies" is SOOOO adorable!!!!!!!!! katejones.me

"Being Elmo" is definitely one of my favorite documentaries! To me he sure is a man of compassion which we all need to practice a little more.I think my second favorite is called "Buck". It's the story about the real horse whisperer. If you love horses and the movie "The Horse whisperer" with Robert Redford... this is definitely a must see!

I recommend "Give Up Tomorrow". It's a very moving documentary about boys who were wrongfully convicted on murder. It has won several awards, including two from the Tribeca Film Festival. These boys have been in prison for 15 years with little hope of being released. Hope you can check it out at www.pacodocu.com Thank you!

AAAHHHHHH! I've seen all of these but Touching the Void which I am watching RIGHT NOW. To say that I am on the edge of my seat would be a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE understatement. Are these men insane???? Great recommendation ~ thank you!

I don't have time to read through all of the comments right now so sorry if someone else has suggested it, but "Forks Over Knives" is amazing. It discusses how we (Americans) eat too much animal based proteins and how it negatively effects our health.